Bottlenecks to Learning Evidence-Based Practice: Recommendations for Nursing Faculty

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Baccalaureate nursing education aims to develop evidence-based practice (EBP) competency.
• Research highlights significant EBP competency gaps in nursing graduates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the challenges accelerated baccalaureate nursing students encounter while learning EBP.
• Identify specific learning obstacles within accelerated nursing programs.

Main Methods:

• Employed a qualitative, descriptive research design.
• Focused on identifying key bottlenecks hindering student learning of EBP.

Main Results:

• Accelerated learning of EBP steps presented considerable challenges for students.
• Analysis identified three primary categories of learning bottlenecks: cognitive, procedural, and emotional.

Conclusions:

• Faculty should explicitly teach EBP steps to facilitate student progression.
• Recommends scaffolded learning, collaborative partnerships, and reflective practices to enhance EBP competency in accelerated nursing programs.